Track & field athletes achieve personal records at invitationals

The Knights continue to run, jump and hurdle to success, as they are coming off a magnificent weekend, one of which included several performances that resulted in nationally ranked scores. 

The Geneseo men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams sent athletes to compete at both the Bucknell Bison Open and at the Brockport Multi & Invitational on Saturday Jan. 28. 

At Bucknell University, the men’s team saw sophomore distance runner Gillan Faulkner record the second fastest 800-meter time in Geneseo history. Faulkner also hit the third fastest time in Division III this season in the 800-meter with a time of 1:54:45, which was plenty enough for a first place finish in the meet.

The Knights also witnessed senior distance runner Travis Briggs come in second place in the 5000-meter with a time of 15:06:09—a personal best. Briggs made his mark in the conference as second best in the category. 

The women’s team also demonstrated their skills at Bucknell. Sophomore distance runner Elise Ramirez won the 5000-meter with a winning time of 17:41:44, a SUNYAC best this season. Junior sprinter Lauren Bamford came in second in the 400-meter with a time of 59.15, a time that is good for the conference lead by a full second. Senior distance runner Sara Rosenzweig finished fourth in the 3000-meter run with a time of 10:14:96. 

While the Knights may have only sent a small group of competitors, they still came away with success. Sophomore multi-event athlete Shayna Held won the 60-meter hurdle competition in 9.04 seconds. This mark is good for third overall in the conference at the moment, as well as the third best time in school history.

“Considering the goals of the weekend and bringing a third of the team to compete, they performed very well against very competitive fields,” head coach Chris Popovici said.

Friday Feb. 3-Sunday Feb. 5 proves to be another busy weekend for both teams, for they are going to be “all over the place,” according to Popovici. The teams will participate in three meets, with a projected 100 athletes competing. 

The first meet is a visit to the Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday Feb. 3. Then the jumpers and combined event athletes will travel to Ithaca to compete in the Bomber Invitational on Saturday Feb. 4 and Sunday Feb. 5.

Indoor track & field aims for conference title

After a shorter intersession than most students, the Geneseo men’s and women’s track and field teams returned in early January, more than a week before the rest of the student body. The team worked hard as they prepared for the spring semester in order to come back stronger than ever and to win the conference title.

“The expectation is that we are in the hunt to win,” head coach Chris Popovici said. 

The men’s and women’s cross country teams both rank in the top three nationally, along with what can arguably be considered one of the best women’s triple jump crews in the country. 

Several members will be key factors in leading the Knights to a conference title. Popovici said how important the presence of junior transfer from Hamilton College sprinter Amman Weaver has been to the team. Since arriving, he has become a known presence in sprints, most notably the 60-meter dash.  

Another runner, freshman sprinter Lauryn Krupa, has been dominating her races, debuting with the second-best time on the team in the 60-meter dash. Popovici said that she also looks to help in jumps this semester. 

Additionally, junior distance runner Isaac Garcia-Cassani aims to build on his success, as he has one of the fastest times and posted the third-fastest time nationally this season. 

“We want to qualify as many people for nationals as possible,” Popovici said. 

In their first two meets of 2017, both teams saw a plethora of individual achievements. The spring semester kicked off when both teams competed in the Utica Invitational on Jan. 14. 

On the women’s side, senior jumper Alexa Wandy impressed all spectators with a 5.45-meter long jump. As for the men, sophomore hurdler Austin Cutler tied a school record with an 8.55 second time in the 60-meter hurdles, easily coasting to a win in that event. 

The two teams also took part in the Houghton Highlander Invitational on Friday Jan. 20. Sophomore hurdler Erin MacDougall made her name known in the conference with a winning 60-meter hurdle time of 9.34. Senior mid-distance runner Mackenzie Ross also had a big day winning the 600-meter dash in just under a minute and 41 seconds, along with playing a big role in the 4x400 win for Geneseo. 

The men also won their 4x400 relay, as freshman pole-vaulter Terry Taylor III placed second in the pole vault. His pole vault was good for 15-feet.

The first couple of meets to kick off the spring semester provided a very optimistic outlook for the rest of the season for the team. Popovici expects a successful season out of the men’s and women’s teams, barring any injuries. 

“Our hope is to win the conference title, men and women, which we know will be a close battle for both sides. But if we stay healthy, we have a great shot,” Popovici said.

Sports injuries can ruin players’ morale

A much-anticipated Sunday night football matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Dec. 4 saw a gruesome injury to Seahawks All-Pro safety Earl Thomas. Thomas collided with his teammate and fellow safety Kam Chancellor, leading to a nasty leg injury that was later diagnosed as a fractured tibia.

Shortly after being carted into the locker room, Thomas tweeted out, “This game has been so good to me no regrets.. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers.”

Thomas is a well-respected star; consequently, his tweet provoked shock and fear in the minds of both players and fans around the league.

Because this was so soon after the injury occurred, some believe that this was no more than an impulse tweet and that Thomas was simply shocked and frustrated from his season ending prematurely. These initial feelings are common when it comes to sports injuries, and they are just the start of a rollercoaster of emotions that athletes of any sport endure while recovering from injury.

There are two major aspects to every injury: the physical aspect, of course, and the mental aspect. Despite the physical pain, the mental part tends to have a greater effect on the athlete. The emotions that are dealt with will depend on the severity of the injury, but all athletes who have experienced injury will be able to relate in some way or another.

The beginning stage of an athletic injury is denial, as an athlete may never want to admit that he or she will have to take time off to heal. Or, in the case of Thomas, he initially didn’t believe that he would ever play again.

When the reality sets in that the recovery period is longer than expected, a feeling of depression kicks in. This is perhaps the hardest of all emotions, but staying in a positive mindset will lead to the final stage of emotions: acceptance. Reaching an accepting mindset takes a different amount of time for all athletes.

Although Thomas is unable to play, he should avoid isolation and continue to cheer his team on from the sidelines. Recovering from an  injury is the ultimate test of patience for athletes around the globe. Every injured athlete—regardless of the sport, age, gender or level of competition—has experienced this rollercoaster of emotions through the process of recovery.

Even though Thomas expressed his doubts and questioned his future, Seahawks fans should exhale because this thought process is completely normal. He is an athlete with a true passion for playing the game he loves, and will likely return with optimism, determination and a fully healed leg. He will once again play the way he always has.